Articles of footwear have been designed for in a wide variety of physical activities including walking, running, hiking, trekking, hunting, backpacking, and indoor and outdoor activities. For example, hiking and work boots are typically designed to provide a wearer with suitable comfort and support for hiking or walking on uneven or rough terrain. Conventional hiking or work boots, however, can be relatively heavy. Every time a wearer takes a step, such as while walking or hiking, the wearer must lift the weight of the boot. After hundreds or thousands of steps, that additional weight can be fatiguing on the wearer's legs. Accordingly, it is highly desirable to minimize the weight of the footwear without overly compromising the stability and support of the footwear.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,484,420 and 6,757,990 disclose a significant advancement in footwear technology to achieve a lightweight footwear assembly while maintaining a very stable platform. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,484,420 and 6,757,990 are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. This footwear incorporates a construction wherein at least a portion of the lateral and medial peripheral flanges of the upper are stitched to the insole in the phalangeal and heel portions but they are not stitched to the insole through the arch portion. Additionally, the lateral and medial peripheral flange of the upper is wrapped around the lateral peripheral edge of the insole in the arch portion and the medial peripheral flange of the upper is wrapped around the medial peripheral edge of the insole in the arch portion. Moreover, the lateral and medial peripheral flanges are secured to the bottom surface of the arch portion of the insole. This construction provides a very lightweight and stable platform, although there are areas where improvements may be made for selected footwear.